The Phantom’s Pre-Season: The proven SuperCoach scorers who could bounce back in 2019
They’re all reliable SuperCoach scorers but, for different reasons, had little impact in 2018. The Phantom looks at seven players who could bounce back and become SuperCoach bargains in 2019.
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The Phantom’s pre-season guide to: Premium smokies | Premium forwards | Premium defenders | Premium midfielders | Mid-price defenders| Mid-price midfielders | Mid-price ruckmen | Mid-price forwards | Mid price smokies | Cash cows in defence | Midfield cash cows | Cash cow defenders | Cash cow ruckmen | Cash cow forwards | Cash Cow smokies
They’re all proven scorers but, for different reasons, had little impact in 2018. The Phantom looks at seven players who could bounce back and become SuperCoach bargains in 2019.
Hamish Hartlett
(Port Adelaide $349,200, def)
In 2015, after averaging 92, 91, 91 and 97 in the previous four seasons, Hartlett recorded the first three-figure average of his career.
Playing through the midfield, the damaging right-footer scored 85 points or more in 19 of his 22 matches and posted 10 SuperCoach, four of them in excess of 120, to finish the year at a career-high price of $555k.
Hartlett ranked first at the Power for tackles, third for kicks, clearances and contested possessions and fourth for disposals.
But, despite leading the Power for intercept possessions and marks, a move to half-back saw the No. 4 pick from the 2008 National Draft fail to average more than 78 points per game in 2016 and 2017.
The 28-year-old made a bright start to 2018, posting three scores of 87 or more in the opening five rounds before suffering a season-ending ACL injury at training in April.
But he’s on track for a Round 1 return this season and the Power need his line-breaking ability in the absence of departed stars Jared Polec and Chad Wingard.
And he might even be needed back in the midfield with Ollie Wines on the sidelines.
The Phantom’s Verdict: A proven SuperCoach scorer when fit, Hartlett, is quietly sneaking up The Phantom’s watchlist.
Brandon Ellis
(Richmond $387,500, def)
As a 21-year-old in 2014, Ellis averaged 97 SuperCoach points and finished second in the Jack Dyer medal. The following year, he broke the three-figure mark, averaging 100 for the season, scoring 90 or more in 17 of his 22 games. The hard-running Ellis was well on his way to becoming one of the league’s most damaging wingmen.
But in 2017, after an underwhelming 2016 campaign, Ellis was re-cast as defender.
After a slow start as he settled into the new role, the hard-running Tiger averaged 100 points per game from Round 10 onwards as Richmond roared into the finals.
But Ellis could only average 56 points per game in the opening five rounds of 2018 and, after 111 consecutive games in the senior team, the 25-year-old was dropped.
He regained his spot in the second half of the season but his SuperCoach scoring remained inconsistent.
While he’s unlikely to force his was back into the Tigers’ defence, given the emergence of playmaker Jayden Short, Ellis is a chance to re-join the midfield as a wingman with the new 6-6-6 setup set to benefit the running side of his game.
The Phantom’s Verdict: Ellis was one of the most-damaging wingmen in the competition in the early part of his career so if he returns to a similar role in 2019, he well-and-truly re-enters the SuperCoach fold at that price.
Michael Hibberd
(Melbourne $398,700, def)
Last summer, the Melbourne defender was a popular SuperCoach selection after averaging a career-high 99 points per game in 2017.
Hibberd, who missed the 2016 season through suspension, posted SuperCoach tons in 10 of his 18 games — four of them in excess of 120 — and, on average, ranked first in the competition for metres gained, second for rebound 50s, seventh for intercept possessions and eighth for kicks.
But 2018 was a SuperCoach disaster for those who selected him.
Yes, I was one.
Hibberd, who was Melbourne’s running playmaker in 2017, reverted to a defensive role in 2018 and was replaced as the go-to man for the kick-ins by Jordan Lewis, taking 42 less than he did in the previous year.
However, with Steven May arriving from the Suns and Jake Lever due back mid-season, Hibberd might be freed up again in 2019.
And given he had the highest play-on percentage of the top-50 kick-in players in 2017, we could see Hibberd return to his SuperCoach best, if he can wrestle the duties back off Lewis.
The Phantom’s Verdict: Keep an eye on his role of the JLT Series as Hibberd could be a great buy for those who can overlook the hurt of 2018.
Tom Rockliff
(Port Adelaide $405,900, mid)
In comparison to his first year at the Power, Rockliff his fit-and-firing.
“I’ve got more confidence in the body and have completed the whole pre-season through the midfield, ’’ he told The Advertiser earlier in February.
“I see myself playing the majority of this year as an inside midfielder.’’
Do. Not. Give. In. Phantom.
While I’m trying my best not to, it’s hard to ignore the 30-year-old’s scoring history.
Rockliff has averaged more than 110 points in four seasons with a career-best 132-point average coming in 2014 — a year which featured six scores in excess of 150.
With his body letting him down, the 30-year-old struggled through his first season at Alberton, posting just four SuperCoach tons and recording seven scores of 66 or less.
But with Wines set to miss the early part of the season, the Power need Rockliff’s ball-winning ability in the midfield.
The Phantom’s Verdict: It would take a brave SuperCoach but you don’t win by playing it safe.
Brad Crouch
(Adelaide $418,000, mid)
In his 61 games, Crouch has passed the 80-point mark in 44 of them and posted 22 SuperCoach tons — six more than younger brother and All-Australian Matt to the same point of his career.
The 25-year-old played 14 games in his debut season and averaged an impressive 87 points per game before increasing that number to 95 in his second year.
Crouch’s on-field performance has never been an issue but, after only playing 36 games in the past four years, his body has.
The tough, all-round midfielder posted scores of 99, 110, 120 and 138 in is past four matches.
But that was at the end of 2017.
It’s been a positive pre-season for Crouch to-date and he will take another step in his climb back to the top of Adelaide’s midfield tree on Saturday in the trial game against Port Adelaide.
The Phantom’s Verdict: An injury-free Crouch can average in excess of 105 and that makes his price of $418k unbelievable tempting. Will he finally get some luck?
THE PHANTOM’S MUST-HAVE PLAYER ON EVERY LINE
Zac Williams
(GWS $407,800, def)
As I’ve written before, the Giant defender appears the best value-for-money option in 2019.
Williams missed the entire home-and-away season through injury but returned the Giants’ side for the first final with a bang.
The 24-year-old tallied 117 SuperCoach points, on the back of 33 disposals and nine marks.
Expect Williams to take majority of the kick-ins at GWS and build on his 94-point average from his breakout year in 2017.
The Phantom’s Verdict: Lock him in.
Tom Liberatore
(Western Bulldogs $300,400, mid)
In 2013, his third season in the game, the clearance machine recorded 13 SuperCoach tons — eight of them in excess of 120 — to post a season average of 107.
The following year, he was even better, adding a further three points to his average after 14 SuperCoach tons, including a career-high 171-point performance against the Demons.
Liberatore recorded more tackles and clearances than any other player in the competition and his 14 contested possessions per match ranked him seventh in the game.
While it’s been a rollercoaster since with two knee reconstructions, a premiership, a 79-point average and stint in the reserves, Liberatore is a fit and ready go in 2019.
The Phantom’s Verdict: He’s far more likely to feature in the top-scoring midfielders than fellow mid-price option Dan Hannebery.
Originally published as The Phantom’s Pre-Season: The proven SuperCoach scorers who could bounce back in 2019
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